Is It Doxxing If the Information Is Public? Exploring the Ethics of Sharing Personal Information Online

Everyone values their privacy. With the internet being such a vast and complex space, ensuring one’s online privacy has become increasingly challenging. One way that people’s privacy can be invaded is through doxxing, a term coined from the word “documents.” Doxxing is the act of researching and broadcasting personal or private information about an individual or an organization without their consent. But what happens when the information shared is already publicly available? Is it still doxxing?

The Gray Area of Public Information

Before we dive into answering this question, there is a grey area surrounding what could be considered public information. Public information is data or facts that are freely available and accessible to anyone. Information that can be obtained via a quick Google search or from social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter are examples of public information.

However, there is a difference between information that is technically public and information that is intended to be public. For instance, a person’s job title, educational background and work experience are typically viewed as public information. Therefore, it is not doxxing to share that information. But sharing someone’s home address, phone number, social security number or anything that could compromise their security or privacy, even though available to the public through a public record, is doxxing.

The Ethics of Sharing Public Information

When it comes to sharing information online, there is always the ethical consideration of whether or not it is the right thing to do. Even if information is technically public, it does not necessarily mean that it should be shared without consent. Online privacy should always be respected, and it is up to individuals to decide what they want to share about themselves. Even if an individual has shared personal information publicly, that does not give anyone the right to use that information against them.

It is worth noting that even seemingly innocent information can be used for malicious purposes. For example, sharing someone’s current location on social media may seem harmless, but it could put them in danger, especially if they are being stalked. Similarly, sharing someone’s work history may seem like beneficial information for networking, but it could also be used against them in future job interviews.

Examples of Doxxing and Its Consequences

Doxxing has been used as a weapon against individuals and organizations in various forms. In some cases, doxxing has been done as a form of harassment and retribution. In other cases, it was done as a way to bring attention to a particular issue.

One example of doxxing gone wrong is the case of an individual who tweeted a joke that was deemed inappropriate by some. As a result, internet users doxxed the individual, found their address, and harassed them online and offline.

Another example of doxxing happened when an online community tried to identify a woman who was photographed flipping off US President Donald Trump’s motorcade. Her identity was eventually revealed, which led to harassment, threats, and even job loss.

In both cases, individuals had shared “public” information, yet it was wrongfully used against them.

Conclusion

The internet has made it easy for us to find information about people. However, just because information can be obtained easily does not mean it should be used without consent or used to harm individuals. In the end, the most important thing is respecting people’s privacy, allowing them to choose what they want to share and what they do not want to share. Even if information is technically public, it is essential to consider the ethical implications of sharing it online. Ultimately, any act of doxxing is an invasion of privacy, whether the information is public or not.